Leave it to the folks at Tiger// to unearth the best raging hardcore Norway has to offer. Eskatol isn't an actual FF release, but it fits in just fine alongside their catalogue as a fine addition to 's list of offerings. However, whereas bands such as the superb Obliteration are content to wallow fabulously in old-school, bottom-dweller filth, Eskatol mixes it up to the extreme, tossing "new school" hardcore-style technical runs, bits of Swedish-style melodic metal leads, His Hero Is Gone-style crust and various other influences in with their ripping d-beat attack. Sounds sketchy, but it works because they don't let those flourishes overpower the 'core. Kinda in the same way that Converge pulls it off; those attributes are the appetizers, not the main course. Check out "Blodørn"'s opening cut "Dype spor" and I think you'll hear what I mean. I actually listened to this record straight through twice in a row when I first got it, that's how much it impressed me.
I'm not all that into Christmas and I'm definitely not into Christmas music, but I do like Champagne Riot so I'm giving them a pass. Their Xmas single "Xmas safari" isn't as, well, anthemic as "The champagne anthem", but it's not as if that's a big surprise. Instead, we get loping bassline and a tale of holiday woe, so thank goodness for that because I cannot handle the usual forced cheer. So here you go, just in time for Channukah (begins tomorrow, hope yr gifts to me are already on their way), a present from them to me to you.
Galaxy Safari aren't a "cool" band, but that doesn't mean they aren't good. They play workingman hard rock, an area far removed from all hype, but fuck it, I like burly riffs paired with pop hooks so I like them just fine. So yeah, if you dig stonerrock, but can't hang with stoner clichés, you'll dig this. If you like it when Foo Fighters are at their heaviest, you'll like this too. The band they remind of most though, is Speedball, an obscure act from Detroit that I think I read about on Aversionline or some other zine way back when. Speedball's "Drive like hell" EP kicks ass in a very similar way and it's been a longtime standby for me in my collection and also, now that I've looked them up, I'm surprised to find out they're still together, so yeah- further investigation is most definitely needed! But anyway, getting back to Galaxy Safari: there's no clever press ploy here, no flash, no gimmicks. Just four dudes playing heavy rock'n'roll, though I suppose it doesn't hurt to mention that the band features members from Victims and Daybreak even if the connection barely impacts the music.
Till grammisjuryn 2009:
Tack men nej tack, vi avsäger oss nomineringen, vi vill inte ha med Er att göra. Hoppas Ni respekterar detta. Vi tycker att en ursäkt vore på sin plats. Säg förlåt.
Vänligen,
The Bear Quartet
In case you missed it, The Bear Quartet were nominated for a Swedish Grammy and they have refused the "honor", issuing the statement above (translation here). It's not like it's the first time, so yeah, I'm not surprised. Still Sweden's best indie act and also the most contrary. Anyhow, it's not as if the prospect of BQ going up against the likes of Takida and Europe isn't ridiculous enough by itself, it hardly matters because you know that fucking Kent will win everything, whether you think they deserve it or not (I still haven't heard "Röd"; I'm sure it's fine, but I just don't care). So they are stepping aside and good for them. The Bear Quartet continues to do as they see fit.
On a similar token, the band has another new EP on the way to accompany the album "89" and of course it bares their willfully difficult streak. The song is "Carry your weight" and the EP comes with 3 b-side versions: a killer Spaghetti Western remix from Strange Maps aka Petter Granberg of Park Hotell, a psyched-out take by Malmö-based experimental artist VED and most importantly, the version I give to you today as performed by Finnish cult artist M.A. Numminen (performed together with longtime collaborator Pedro Hietanen on accordion). I can't remember where exactly I first heard of Numminen, but his intentionally annoying weirdness is a perfect match for BQ and yet another example of the band doing their best to aggravate their fans. Personally, I think it's hilarious, even if it's pure novelty. But most importantly, it makes perfect sense. The "Carry your weight" EP comes out December 11, the same day as The Bear Quartet's final concert of the year in their hometown Luleå where they will perform songs from "89" for the very last time.
M.A. Numminen - Carry your weight (The Bear Quartet cover)
Isobel & November sent me an mp3 from their new album "The ghostwater gospel" and I'm happy to pass it along, not just because they're a good band, but because the track confounds my expectations. Judging by the demo stuff they had been posting I had expected a competent 16 Horsepower/Woven Hand knockoff which is fine because they never seemed to bite them too hard and frankly, those are bands we could use more copies of (though I'd say they broke the mold when they made David Eugene Edwards). Anyhow, like I said, modest expectations -- definitely not expecting a cavernous 15-minute epic. How big was the church they recorded in anyway? The video above doesn't really give us a good view of the complete space, but I expected a tiny Swedish farmhouse church. Y'know, like "Winter Light" sized. Moderate and Lutheran, not Catholic and booming. And the comparison acts I listed above, they are merely starting point; Isobel & November definitely veer off into their own thing on this one. That base is vital though, this would be nothing without that glory and grandeur, those two star qualities that can sometimes make rock music seem transcendent. Now I know I gotta hear the rest of the record.
When pondering Tobias Hellkvist's new record "Evolutions", keep the title in mind and remember that evolution takes place over huge periods of time. It is not revolution and though this new album does show progression, it does not reflect monumental change. The readily identifiable guitars are gone, replaced by tones and drone, all drifting towards monolithic ambience. "Arms" is a track built on echoing chimes and overtones, sounding something like an underwater clockshop. Or maybe it's your head that's underwater, as the cacophony eventually reveals a deep the groan of a sinking ship that in turn shifts into a light roar of rushing currents and cracking ice. Of course, this being Tobias and his music being the way it is, it's far more dreamy than dreadful. The term "Dronepop" has been floated before, but Tobias is the one artist who I think personifies it best.
I had no doubts that AC4's self-titled debut would be decent even if some of David and Dennis' post-Refused/Final Exit meanderings have been sub-standard because I know their hearts are in the right place and they really do truly believe in what they're doing their place in the hardcore/punk/DIY world. And of course, there's no faulting the cred of their bandmates from The Vectors. My only point of contention: Dennis' vocals. His affected screech is pretty tiresome with The (International) Noise Conspiracy (not that Ian Svenonius did much better with Nation of Ullysses or The Make-Up, but I digress), but to hear him raging in full-on hardcore mode... I am satisfied. Still prefer David on the mic, but whatever, give me anti-cop anthem with a catchy chorus and I'm happy. Give me a few more (see also "Fuck the pigs", "Coptown") and what can I say? I love it.
Do you remember Tomas Halberstad? Or perhaps maybe you know him from the commercial above? I've been a fan of his for awhile now, both through his old band and have also been keeping in touch ever since that "Travel as I wait" song first came out. Anyhow, his solo debut "The anger" was released earlier this year, albeit very very slowly, showing up here and there, but it was also given away as a free handmade CDr to the first person from any country who sent in an email. Well, that contest ended yesterday, but Tomas wants to do one last hurrah before he lays this thing to rest for good and I'm here to help him out, so here's the deal! Tomas has created three final CDR packages (see here) and we're going to give them away to the first three people who can answer this one simple question: what was the name of Tomas' old band? To enter, simply send your answer to halberstad@itsatrap.com and be sure to include your name and address.
Further enticement is below and feel free to use the archives to seek out the answer.
UPDATE: thanks for your entries, the contest is now closed.
Piroth's new album "Safe haven" eschews their Early Music charms in favor of better production and expanded instrumentation, a step backwards in my opinion. Now they're not much more than yet another Swedish sister duo. All is not lost though, there are still moments that shine through and the song "When the night is over" is one. Way more Woven Hand than sweet sibling folk, hence it is also way more interesting than the status quo peers. It's also quite sparse vocally speaking, a road far less travelled for the sisters Piroth and one that shows a bit of daring. Risk is good, it shows ambition; clean recordings are not risky unless they reveal a lack of talent and Piroth's technical abilities were never called into question. More like this please (but not necessarily exactly like this).
Lo-fi is all the rage and I'm cool with that, but I'm also heartened to hear that there's still some decent bands doing hi-fi pop and aiming for the stars. [ingenting] is one; hopefully you already know how great their latest album is. Mata de Leon seems to be another, though it's still too soon to tell how high they'll go. They're taking their sweet time, releasing one track at a time, a rare example of moderation in this culture of more/faster/more/more/more. Of the two that I've heard so far, "He's alright" is the winner -- a fine example of elegant Swedish pop melancholy. Once upon a time, this was the hot sound, back in the waning years of Britpop and the rise of Kent. Nowadays... not so much, but I think it's better that way. Scarcity makes it more special.
Ah, to be young and carefree, full of piss and vinegar. Can't say that I'm crazy about this track once divorced from the (excellent) video (above), but it's not bad on its own, not at all. It's got an effortless lilt to it that befits the lyrics. Also, watching the clip and then putting on the mp3 helps me with my Swedish comprehension skills. Beyond that: perfectly pleasant. Good enough!
Finnish act Mesmer tends to take a kitchen sink/anything goes approach to their music, but they are definitely at their best when they settle into a motoric Krautrock groove. Or at least at their most comfortable. Regardless, I of course am drawn to the aggro freak-out of songs like "On fire" -- nothing comfortable about it. They still hit that groove though, just at high BPMs and with more of a Suicide-level intensity. Why can't more modern Kraut bands attain this sort of energy level more often? Too much Kraftwerk? That is why they fail and Mesmer does not.
Of all the EPs that Shelflife Records put out so far since their resurrection, Champagne Riot's was by far the best so it's hardly a surprise that the band's new material is similarly great. Mainman Caspar Bock spent the last year or so doing time as a backing member of Nortern Portriat; meanwhile, he hired (and fired) a new backing band, before regrouping as a duo with the addition journalist/critic Anders Reuter. The new goal: same as old, creating perfect pop. Hearing the new demo track "The champagne anthem", I think they succeeded. Again. It doesn't have the lofty grandeur of previous hot number "Scandinavian warfare", but the wordiness and unapologetic self-referentialism is fabulously fun and the chorus is infectious. Blatant pop romanticism hasn't sounded this good in a long time.
Mattias Alkberg pitched his new album "Nerverna" to me as "selling ice to the Eskimos," saying that he would love to play this kind of rockabilly/roots rock'n'roll here in America. Not that I'd know, most of the old-time rock I hear tends to be shitty cover bands or other unbearable, "-billy" suffixed genre crap listened to by greasers and their China-doll girlfriends. Does "real" true-blue American rock'n'roll still exist? I can think of a few names I guess, but I'd never doubt that we'd be overtaken by foreign talent, much in the same way that modern jazz is dominated by Europe. Similarly, that's where you gotta go if you want to see where these styles are appreciated. Of course, Mattias is never one to play it straight, so while it might appear all hunky-dory on the surface, he's always throwing a wrench into the works. That is his way, it is a distinct part of his appeal whether solo or with his other band The Bear Quartet. Witness: "Visst vet du att jag skiter i allt" ("Surely, you know that I don't care at all"), a remake of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" in 3/4 time with new lyrics på Svenska. An extremely bold move, but Mattias pulls it off, shame that it took me many, many listens to figure out where I knew the melody from.
As I offhandedly mentioned the other day, the new Mikkel Meyer record "Bacon" is pretty great, easily one of the best electronica releases I've heard in 2009. For a while I had him confused with Mikkel Metal, another Danish electronic artist whose work tends to be jazzier, more minimal, and frankly, pretty damn boring, but lucky for Meyer, his work is nothing like that at all. "Tunge" is one of the few non-instrumental tracks from the record and sees him paired with rapper Non from Chicago-based act Shadowhuntaz, quite a complementary pairing I'd say. Non's basso profundo voice works quite well on top of Meyer's gut-churning worble and staggering beats. Twisted in all the right ways, I say, not like a lot of the over-quantized easy-listening garbage that normally gets sent my way. It's got character, damn it! Hear more at label Statler & Waldorf's website: https://www.statler-waldorf.dk/
